Disappointed by New iPhone? You're 'Nuts'

Apple shares fell after today's unveiling of the new iPhone 4S, apparently because investors wanted an iPhone 5. "Apple Underwhelms With iPhone 4S" is the Wall Street Journal headline, which is typical fare in early coverage. Some dissenting views are emerging, though:

• Dan Frommer, Splatf: Those disappointed are "nuts," reads the headline on his post. The 4S has a "faster processor, better camera, faster mobile web access, better antenna design, worldphone features, and better battery life. In other words, a much better phone." These are not superficial changes, and the iPhone is "still the best phone that money can buy."

• Dylan Tweney, VentureBeat: See the Siri feature? "You can talk to your phone, and it will answer your questions. ... You can ask it for directions, currency conversions, and restaurant recommendations, and you can hold down the home button and tell your phone 'Remind me to call my wife when I leave work today,' and it will do it." Only Apple fans could be crestfallen with "something that blows away just about every other competing product in technical sophistication, speed, and price."
• James Kendrick, ZDNet: There's "little reason" for iPhone users to be disappointed, he writes, citing the same reasons as the other bloggers. And "a bigger story on the iPhone line is the cheaper models that will appeal to new buyers. A $99 iPhone 4 is a big deal, and a free (on contract) iPhone 3G is huge." Apple should be able to pick up market share lost by RIM.

(More Apple stories.)